Howden Re has appointed Jay Sogliuzzo (pictured) as managing director and head of North America marine, energy, and terror specialty treaty. The reinsurance broker said the move targets growth in a segment that has posted 185% year-on-year revenue gains.
Sogliuzzo brings 14 years of underwriting experience to the role. At Gen Re, he worked across facultative and treaty reinsurance in the marine and energy market, covering upstream energy, ocean marine and inland marine.
He also carries established relationships with clients and underwriters across North America. Howden Re said further hires are planned as it builds out its North American marine, energy, and terror operation.
The appointment comes as geopolitical volatility reshapes risk appetite across marine, energy, and political violence portfolios. Hormuz disruption has intensified underwriting scrutiny and raised the profile of accumulation risk across interconnected lines, according to Howden Re's market analysis.
(Swiss Re flagged similar pressures in September 2025. Unresolved conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and across the Middle East and Africa were generating sustained geopolitical risk across marine and energy portfolios, the reinsurer said.
The United States intervened directly in the Hormuz market in March 2026. The US International Development Finance Corporation launched a US$20 billion reinsurance facility for vessels transiting the strait, citing the corridor's centrality to global energy security.
North America's Gulf Coast holds a substantial concentration of offshore energy, marine infrastructure, and cargo exposures. Sustained pressure on global trade flows and energy supply chains has increased demand for treaty solutions that pair local placement expertise with global market access.
Howden Re is not alone in targeting MET talent. In December 2025, Willis Re hired marine, energy and terrorism specialists from Guy Carpenter, including brokers with London and Bermuda experience across global specialty portfolios.
The competition for specialist broking talent reflects mounting pressure from political violence events and tightening underwriting conditions. Reinsurers have raised scrutiny of accumulation risk across correlated marine, energy and political violence portfolios, sharpening demand for treaty expertise in North America.
Bradley Maltese, CEO of UK and global specialties at Howden Re, said the marine, energy and terror division has seen increased client demand. "[Sogliuzzo]'s hire, the first of its kind for Howden Re, is another big step on our journey," Maltese said.
Andrew Foot, managing director of global specialty treaty at Howden Re, attributed the appointment to a pipeline of new opportunities in North America. He said the division's 185% year-on-year revenue growth, with a growing North American contribution, made local leadership a priority.
Sogliuzzo said he sees value in having a dedicated on-the-ground presence in North America. "I'm looking forward to building on those relationships as we grow the team and the business across the region," he said.
